• e-mail

Storm Caroline is set to batter Britain on Thursday with 80mph wind gusts and up to eight inches of snow.

Forecasters have warned road, rail, air and ferry services could all be disrupted while homes might lose power as the Scottish Highlands are worst hit by the strong gusts which will reach at least 60mph widely.

Snow and ice will then affect the UK's western coast from the Highlands down to Cornwall on Friday and Saturday, with up to 8in (20cm) of the white stuff possible over higher ground in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

An aurora over Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear today as the Northern Lights appear in the sky despite the almost full moon

The DFDS Princess Seaways arrives at the mouth of the River Tyne at North Shields this morning as the sun begins to rise

Caroline is the fifth storm named by the Met Office this year, following Doris and Ewan in February, then Aileen in September and Brian in October. Hurricane Ophelia was named by the US National Hurricane Center in October.

The Met Office has issued a wind warning for Scotland from 8am to 11.55pm on Thursday, saying gusts of 60mph to 70mph are expected widely, with 80mph possible near north-facing mainland coasts and across the Isles. 

Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Short term loss of power and other services is possible, and coastal routes and seafronts will be affected by large waves.

The strongest winds will reach the North West of Scotland early on Thursday, extending to the North East and Northern Isles in the afternoon, by which time winds will start to ease in the West.

Areas outside the warning are also likely to experience windy conditions. Nicola Maxey from the Met Office said: 'Outside of that area winds will pick up across the rest of the country so it will be a blustery day for many areas.'

The Met Office has also issued a snow and ice warning for the western coast of the UK between 0.05am on Friday and 6pm on Saturday, with snow showers set to be increasingly frequent over northern Scotland late on Thursday. 

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for wind on Thursday (left) and snow and ice on Friday and Saturday (right)

Snow is also expected across many other parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and western England on Friday, with 0.8in (2cm) to 2in (5cm) likely for some, and 4in (10cm) to 8in (20cm) possible over high ground.

Icy surfaces are also likely to be an additional hazard, especially overnight - and strong north-west winds may cause drifting of the snow in places, with blizzard conditions possible at times across northern Scotland. 

The heaviest and most frequent of the snow showers will become confined to North East Scotland during Saturday - but some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train.

Forecasters also expect there to be some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths - and have warned of injuries from people slipping and falling over on icy and snowy surfaces.